In 1991, the Trust was formed for the express purpose of purchasing a seventy-five acre tract of land formally owned and occupied by Archibald and Elizabeth Stuart. One of their children was later to attain fame as "Jeb" Stuart the storied commander of cavalry of the Army of Northern Virginia. The tract of land although just a small portion of the original fifteen hundred acres that comprised the Stuart plantation, contained all of the essential remainders of the Stuart occupancy. The stated goals of the Trust were to restore, protect and interpret the property for the edification of the public.

Money was raised by public subscription to purchase the original Stuart property. Since then, much progress had been made in the improvement and interpretation of the property. From the extensive archaeological study of the property by the College of William and Mary to its inclusion on the Virginia Landmark Register and the National Register of Historic Places, the Trust has been an outstanding example of what can be accomplished by ordinary citizens from all walks of life who were unwilling to permit an important segment of our historical heritage to be lost.

The Trust Board of Directors are all volunteers, and serve without compensation of any kind, save the personal satisfaction that comes from the knowledge that they have contributed to the preservation of an important historic site. The Trust is supported entirely by the contributions of its membership, without whom the Trust could not operate. The Trust is organized under IRS regulation 501-c-3 and all contributions to it are tax deductible to the full extent of the law.

The present members of the Board of Directors are:

President: Ronnie Haynes of Elamsville, Virginia

Vice-President: David Luskof Ararat, Virginia

Secretary: Amy Brown Sawyers of Ararat, Virginia

Treasurer: Brian Jessup of Ararat, Virginia

Thomas Bishop of Claudville, Virginia

Coates Clark of Stuart, Virginia

Christopher Corbett of Ararat, Virginia

Mary Felecito, Independence, VA

Roger Hayden of Claudville, Virginia

Mary Dellenback Hill of Ararat, Virginia

Peggy Iroler of Claudville, Virginia

Ms. Shirley O. Keene of Patrick Springs, Virginia

Dr. James Keesee of Patrick Springs, Virginia

Lisa Martin of Stuart, Virginia

Thelma Pack, Ararat

Mike Pendleton of Critz, Virginia

Shelby Puckett of Ararat, Virginia

Cyndi Vipperman of Mt. Airy, North Carolina

Joan Williams, Stuart

Director Emeritus: John R. Broughton of Pilot Mountain, North Carolina

The Trust cordially invites everyone to visit Laurel Hill, especially during the annual encampments that are held. Anyone desiring to join with us in our efforts to save Laurel Hill for future generations may contact us to us at P.O. Box 1210, Stuart, Virginia 24171-1210 or at 276.251.1833 or at laurelhill@jebstuart.org for further information.

ByJ.E.B. STUART IVGreat-Grandson of Major General J.E.B. Stuart C.S.A.

August 14, 2008

It is with great pleasure that I communicate with you my knowledge of the administration of Laurel Hill, the birthplace and boyhood home of my great- grandfather, General Stuart, as conducted by the Board of Directors of the J.E.B. Stuart Birthplace Preservation Trust Inc. The task undertaken by this organization to transform what essentially had become a subsistence farm over the many years that have passed since my great-grandmother sold the property in 1859. into what is today an historic site, open to the public, was truly a monumental one. Over the past nearly two decades, the men and women of this organization have by their unceasing dedication wrought a minor miracle. With no public funding, the Trust has managed year by year to improve the physical appearance of Laurel Hill. With such milestones as the archaeological survey of the property by the College of William and Mary, the placement of the property on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places, the construction of the Stuart Pavilion with its exquisite series of interpretive signs by the renowned Stuart author Robert J. Trout, to the more mundane paving of its interior roads, the Trust has consistently striven with but one goal in mind to transform Laurel Hill into a permanent memorial to a great American soldier. I welcome this opportunity to express my gratitude, on behalf of the Stuart family, to these men and women of the Trust who have given so much of their time and talents to this great quest. The integrity of this organization is of the highest caliber, its devotion to its mission is unquestioned, and as a result the day is not far off when Laurel Hill will take its rightful place as one of America's finest landmarks.